Pbocess



I. NEVILL Nov. 13, i923. F.

PROCESS ELE'VATING LIQUIDS FROM GREAT DEPTHS Filed April 29. 1922 Processes of Elevating Liquids from Great Patented Nov. 13, 1923.

TES

PATENT OFFICE.

' FRANK I. NEVILL, or HOUSTON, TEXAS.

PROCESS OF ELEVATING LIQUIDS FROM GREAT DEPTHS.

Application filed April 29, 1922. Serial No. 557,310.

To all whom it may concern:

' Be it known that I, F RANK 1. Nnvnm, of Houston, county of Harris, and State of Texas, have invented an Improvement in Depths, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention aims toimprove processes of elevating liquids, such as oil and water, and is particularly applicable to pumping systems of the types used to elevate liquids from great depths.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein I have ShOWn an illustrative installation for performing my process;

Figure 1 is a side view of an oil well pumpin apparatus, showing parts in elevationancI parts in section, other parts being broken;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of a part of the working barrel, showing the lower end of the sucker rod and working valve; and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged elevational view, partly in cross section, of the adjuster and swivel expansible fluid connection.

The apparatus which I have selected for illustrative purposes is adapted for deep drilled orbored wells, and preferably comprises a well tube 1 (see Fig. 1) extending from. the surface to nearly the bottom of the well, carrying a working barrel 2 (seeFig. 2) at its lower end. The working barrel is customarily provided at its lower end with a standing or foot valve 3, above which is an ordinary reciprocating pump piston or working valve at operated by means of a hollow sucker rod 5. The sucker rod, prefer ably near its lower end, is provided with perforations 6 for the admission of natural gas or other elastic fiulds to the working barrel or tubing above the piston or working valve 4. v

A perforated pipe section 7 may be attached to the working barrel 2 below the standing or foot valve 3 for the purpose of preventing foreign matter such as sand and the like from entering and choking the valve. The well maybe lined with a suitable pipe or casing 8, preferably capped and closed at its upper end by-a casing head 9 of usual construction, from which a gas pipe 10 leads to a gas receiver or other suitable means for disposing of the gas, if any, flowing from the well.

The well tubing 1 extends upwardly through and above the casing head 9 and has a delivery pipe 11 connected thereto to deliver the pumped liquid to a tank or pipe line or any desirable place for storage or transportation. The upper end of the tube 1 is provided with a stuffing box 12 of usual construction adapted to maintain a fluid tight joint between it and the reciprocating sucker or piston rod 5.

The upper end of the tubular sucker rod 5 is adj ustably connected to the walking beam 13 and to a source of natural gas under pressure (or other compressed elastic fluid, such as air) by swivel means, preferably permitting easy detachment of the sucker rod so that it may readily be pulled. This adjustable connection in the apparatus shown in the drawing (see Fig. 3) comprises an adjuster T 1% from which depends an adjuster pipe 15.- To the lower end of the adjuster pipe 15 a sleeve 16 is attached and an inverted stuffing box 17 is also connected to the sleeve 16. The sucker rod 5 passes through the stuffing box 17 and has a collar 18 removably secured to its upper end. A removable pipe section 19 of appropriate length surrounds the upper end of the sucker rod 5 with its ends bearing against the upper end of the stuffing box 17 and the lower end of the collar 18 respectively, thereby supporting the sucker rod at the proper height. In practice the sucker rod joints may loosen somewhat or the supporting structure for the pump operating means may settle, allowing the sucker rod to lengthen or drop sufiiciently to cause the piston or working valve to strike the standing valve. To compensate fo settlement or stretching of the sucker rod, its effective length may be shortened by sub stituting a longer pipe section 19, which is readily accomplished in my adjustable joint.

The adjusted T 14 is tubular and is pivotally mounted in suitable bearings on the end of the walking beam 13, and held against displacement thereon by an adjuster board 20 removably fastened on the walking beam. Both of the horizontal branches of the adjuster T 14L are preferably internally threaded, one being closed by a plug 21 and the other receiving the nipple 22 of a swivel joint 23 of a well known construction. External threads may also be provided for the counection of a larger coupling if desired.

A. swinging pipe section 2st (see Figs. 1 and 3) is connected to the swivel joint 23 at the end of the walking beam, and an other swivel joint 25 of similar construction is mounted in axial alinement with the saddle pin 26 of the walking beam so that said pipe section 24 may oscillate with the wall;- ing beam abouta common center. A vertical pipe 27 is connected to the swivel joint 25 and extends downwardly along the sampson post 28 to a convenient point where it is provided with a suitable valve 29. and pressure gage 30. A supply pipe 31 is connected thereto, leading from a source of high pressure natural gas or other supply of elasti fluid of adequate volume under high pressure.

The derrick 32 and sainpson post 28 are mounted in the customary manner on suitable sills. Although these members as illustrated and described are of regulation standard rig construction they may be of any form suitable to the conditions and materials available. It is tobe understood that my adjustable.connections and arrange ment of swinging joints and pipes are equally applicable to other forms of well. pumping rigs.

The operation of the described apparatus conten'iplates that a sufiicient volume of gas, delivered at a sufficiently high pressure, shall be supplied through the sucker rod and discharged, preferably in a plurality of lateral jets as through the apertures (5, into the working barrel; or tubing of the pump to scavenge the working barrel of sand or other foreign matter and, displace the column of entrapped oil or other liquid being delivered prior to starting the reciprocating movement of the working valve or piston, thus materially reducing the pressure on the piston when it is started.

ll mnstarting the pump the gas val re 29 is adjusted to admit a sufficient (low of gas continuously to obtain the most eliicient results for a given depth and (piautitjy of liquid. The ratio between the volume of gas, atthe hydrostatic pressure which prevails at the discharge ports 6, to that of the liquid being pumped is variable depending largely upon the depth ofsubmergence of the'gas ports and the quantity of liquidbeing lifted.

The aerated column of discharging liquid increases in volume and velocity as it ascends the tubing due to the diminishing hydrostatic pressure and consequent expansion of the gas, and discharges in a. stream of considerable force at the surface like the gusher type of well flowing under natural gas pressure.

The significance of the ratio between the volumes of compressed elastic fluid and liquid can be readily appreciated by. con sidering, for example, my combined pumping system as used in a well 3000 feet in depth. The hydrostatic pressure alone of a. 3000 foot solid column of water about 1300 pounds per squareiiuzh, and the total hydrostatic pressure on the. usual working valve in. a working; barrel 2%:- inches in diameter having a piston rod 1.31 inches in diameter amounts tomore than SOOUpo-unds. To this must be added the. weight of the 3000 feet of one inch extra heavy tubing to be used as a sucker rod which is approximately 6000 pounds (ignoring the buoyant effect of the fluid, if any, thereon) making a total tensilestress of more than 1.2000 pounds on the sucker rod.

Then a. piston rod under the foregoing conditions of deep well pumping is subjected to water hammers or other sudden shocks it is soon causedto crystalline and break.

The pressure of the elastic fluid mustat its delivery point exceed the hydrostatic pressure on the working valve if it is toenter by its pressure alone, and in case the submergence of the gas ports is sayv 2000 feet the. pressure must therefore exceed say 866 pounds in order'for any gas at all to pass into the tubing. The supply ofcompressed air in case air is employed is under such conditions preferably derived from a central station provided with powerful air compressors, since the ordinary air pumps sometimes operated in conjunction with the pumping rig for supplying air to cushion the water hammer would be impracticable and inoperative for use in this connection.

If the naturalflow of the well is sufficient to maintain the minimum. submergence of the gas discharge ports 6' in the column of liquid necessary to continued operation of the process, the pump need not beworked; but most wells require some pumping to maintain maximum flow.

The reciprocating pump is capable of delivering liquid to submerge the gas ports so long as the normal liquid level in the well is within suction range of the working valve, thus avoiding the necessity for lowering or changing the air or gastubing to obtain'the proper depth of submergence as would be the case if- 'air lift apparatus alone should be employed.

Relief is afforded the stresses on the workmg partsof the well pump by the material re notion in the weight of the column of liquid being discharged therefrom, thereby enabling a faster pumping speed to be main tained without overtaxing' the apparatus.

My invention, enables a greati'n crease, in the productive capacity of a well with but little additional apparatus. over that of; a

well equipped with a. mechanical pump or 1 other apparatus hitherto available for opcrating at great depths.

In the claims the Word gas is used to designate either natural gas under pressure, compressed air, or other suitable compressed fluid, or mixtures of gas, air or fluid, in substantial volume as distinguished from mere bubbles.

Having disclosed one illustrative use of my invention, and Without restricting myself thereto, What I claim is.

1. The process of elevating liquids from extreme depths which comprises, initiating an intermittent discharge from the liquid source in a discharge column and converts ing the intermittent discharge into a continuous aerated stream by discharging an expansible fluid under pressure continuously into the discharging column near the normal liquid level, whereby to accelerate the delivery of the liquid and materially reduce the hydrostatic pressure in the discharge colum 2. The method of pumping liquids from extremely deep Wells which comprises, initiating an intermittent discharge from the source by a mechanical pump located within suction range of the normal liquid level, and converting the intermittent discharge from the pump into a. continuous discharge by continuously delivering jets of expansib le fluid under continuous pressure to the discharge column at a level above and near the level of the pump, whereby to assist the pump in delivering the liquid to the surface and reduce the stresses on the pump parts due to the hydrostatic head of the liquid column.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

FRANK I. NEVILL. 

